The Lion King: New Beginnings
by Sicarius117
Summary: Everything was just right. Scar had been defeated, Simba had retaken the throne, and now everything was starting to heal again. But when a stranger come from far beyond and darkness comes with it, will the Pridelands be able to withstand the onslaught? Discontinued.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Darkness. It was utterly black, terrifying, grim. It showed the greatest fears of men, for men could not see in the dark and were afraid of that which they could not see.

There was a man inside of that darkness. If anyone had enough light to see, they would see a thin, strong, tan-skinned man that showed a compassionate, clean, but lethal face. He would have had dark brown hair, short, closely cropped. He also wore nothing but a pair of shorts, brown and dull, like that of a soldier. Those who knew him knew that he was also no fool, but wasn't a merciless killer like some would think. He had the mind of an artist and a hunter, that of lethality, calm, peace, and elegance.

He could see absolutely nothing, but did not panic, for he knew what would happen next. He knew what he was about to do, what was about to happen to him. He knew that what was about to happen would change his life forever.

Suddenly he could hear a loud clanking of gears and light flooded into the room as a door opened up in right in front of him like the maw of a beast. Beyond was a chamber, empty except for several varying machines and a platform.

He passed through the maw as food is spread out of a sick mouth, calmly and smoothly, and did not turn back as the door closed behind him.

**Sicarius117 Presents**

He saw two marked spots on the platform where his feet should be and placed them there. Suddenly they were locked in place, but he showed no signs of alarm. Just to his right a screen lit up, filled with information about himself, the basics.

_**Name: Scipio, Alexander C.**_

_**Gender: Male**_

_**Height: 6' 7"**_

_**Age: 16**_

_**Serial Number: ACS-395**_

_**Prerequisites: Passed**_

_**Designation: Light of Dawn**_

_**Assigned Dimension: Alpha-557**_

_**Status:**_

He faced forward again as his the status bar read _**Status: -ACTIVE-**_ and the machine started to beep repeatedly. As this was happening the platform rose several feet off the ground.

The platform stopped and two mechanical arms rose from above him. They moved down and, in one fluid motion, grabbed hold of his wrists, spread them slightly, and raised them until they were in front of him.

After a slight pause the machines around him started to whir. It went faster, faster, faster, until suddenly the machines around him started to move towards him. Some were strange, pressurized instruments, others were needles attached to vials filled with different types of liquid, all of which were unknown to him.

They got closer, closer, and closer.

Then the process began. His body tensed as a sharp pain entered his body from multiple locations, some at his legs, his groin, but mostly his chest, arms, and back. Needles were being placed into him and they injected their liquids right into him. He did not scream as the liquids did their work.

He soon felt a jolt as his temples were shocked, therefore scattering his vision and senses.

They readjusted. They were, although he didn't notice at first, sharper, cleaner, and much more heightened than normal. He could see clearer, smell more, and taste even more than before.

Soon after that the liquids began their work. His body, which was smooth and clean, began to grow fur of the color gold. He could feel his legs bending backwards, his back bending, and his muscles growing. He also felt something new just above his behind.

He looked at his left hand. He saw his fingers and they were now looking less like human fingers and more like cat toes. His thumb, still on his hand, was getting smaller, but did not go away. What should have been his nails were not his nails anymore. Instead they were long, sharp, lethal claws.

Smiling, he flexed his fingers and tightened them into a fist before relaxing them.

After a little while he felt two arms grab his shorts and, in one fluid motion, ripped them off. At the same time the two arms holding his wrists let go and he fell on all fours. Just after that the other machines moved away from him back into their original positions.

After the machines were back he heard a woman's voice come from a nearby speaker.

It announced, "All units prepare for embarkation."

After that a huge mirror aligned itself right in front of him so he could see himself. He saw a large, muscular, golden-furred lion with a large, fully-grown, oak-colored mane.

He flexed his body, got a good feel for it and at the same time saw visions as a result of the drugs injected into his bloodstream.

He swished his tail and saw a hyena lunging out. He flexed his hind legs and saw a flock of vultures flying through the air. He stretched his back and saw a mandrill attacking something with a long branch. He flexed his forelegs and saw a pair of vultures swooping towards the ground. He extended his claws and saw a hyena being cut through by something. He twisted his head and saw cold, evil eyes filled with hate. He flexed his jaw and saw a group of lions preparing to strike out, roaring and growling.

Content with himself, he turned away from the mirror, smiled with a mouth now full of sharp teeth, and said aloud in a young, smooth voice, "Hell, it's about time."

**The Lion King: New Beginnings**


	2. Chapter 1: Departure

**Chapter 1: Departure**

The _Light of Dawn_. A magnificent hulk in the middle of space, full of purpose, life. It seemed out of place where it was, but then again so did every other Terran vessel that happened to be stationed in the middle of nowhere. Home to over 20,000 living humans, 10,000 of which would leave for a new purpose, this vessel was about to make universal history, though many didn't and wouldn't know they made history once they left.

On the bridge of the _Light of Dawn_, everyone was bustling, moving like a swarm of ants doing their job, for today the future would be decided based on their performance.

Yet one man stood unmoved, calm in a raging storm, starring out of the forward windows from his command balcony. This one man alone would decide everything, every command, every action, for he was the most important of everyone else on the ship. He was the brains of the whole operation, after all.

"Director, we are ready to proceed," called out a man from below the deck.

Direction James Godwinson turned from the view to face the man. He was a tall, thin man with hawkish features and Caucasian skin. He had sharp, hazel eyes and wore a gray military officer's uniform. Without this man's genius this whole operation would be faulted and the fate of unknown billions rested in their hands.

"Good," he said in a calm, strong voice, "then we shall proceed as planned."

The man nodded a yelled, "All hands, prep for launch." Warning alarms flared and men and women rushed to their stations. "Remember, if we fail the universe dies," the director yelled out.

He turned back and instead of seeing empty, star-filled space he saw a swirling multicolored hole the filled the viewport. This was what they were all here for.

He thought back to the 10,000 people that would embark on a new quest, 10,000 souls that would never see their homes or family again.

**Meanwhile…**

Alex stepped into the room filled with the other men and women from Alpha unit, about 1,000 strong. There were nine other groups ready for departure just as his group was. His group was the first and most important unit in the entire project and their progress was of the most importance. But instead of seeing regular men and women he saw many variations, from small, weak individuals to huge, gargantuan hulks.

And it wasn't just humans. He saw a huge variety of creatures he did and did not recognize. He recognized the orcs, aliens, Martians, SPARTANs, space marines, kroot, Klingons, Borg , predators, protoss, hydralisks, some comical cartoon animations, LEGO ninjas, walking fish, toys, even animals from animated movies he'd seen as a little kid, mammoths, sabre-tooths, tigers, sloths, deer, monkeys, and even dinosaurs.

"Hey, Alex!" called a four-toed, 7-foot tall, mandible creature that Alex recognized was from the Halo video game series, a Covenant Elite. He immediately recognized the voice and ran to the elite to greet him.

"Hey, Rick! Wow, you look nice. So Halo is your favorite thing in the entire world," said Alex. He remembered that every person had gone through the exact same process, but came out as the creature that represents their favorite thing in the whole world, real or not. Apparently Rick, his best friend who had also been chosen for the assignment, loved Halo.

"Yeah," replied Rick. "Hey, I see you're doing well. Damn, you look awesome. And it doesn't look like you need those glasses anymore. So your favorite thing in the whole world is the Lion King?"

"Hell, yeah. You know it's always been my favorite." It was true. The Lion King had been his favorite movie his whole life. Despite the fact it was made over 70 years ago, it was still Disney's best-selling movie in animation history and it still looked impressive on the big screen. He loved it so much he had an obsession for it, though many of his friends didn't know since he kept it a secret.

"So, you're ready to join your favorites _and_ save the universe, now? Man I'm soooo ready for this."

"I know! I'm so ready for this."

As soon as he finished the alarms started to sound. Everyone scrambled for the launch stations.

"Well, it's time. Good luck to you, Rick."

"Good luck to you Alex."

And with one last stare, they separated and headed for their pods. Knowing they would never see each other again, they fought to hold back tears as they prepared to leave station.

**Five minutes later …**

He stood in the cramped pod, staring out the window, starring at the rows of other pods aligned in their drop tubes. The pods were a one-use-only pod and once they were used they would break down and turn into dust as soon as the user exited and it ran out of power.

Now prepped for drop, Alex waited for the inevitable sign that would send him out into the maelstrom just outside of the ship. He thought back to where this all started, when he was requested for the job…

**Two Months Ago**

He had been called from to the principal's office. For what, he wasn't sure. Did he do something wrong or was it a mistake?

Alex opened the door to find not the principal, but a man in grey military uniform, sitting behind the principal's desk. He closed the door behind him and turned to sit down to the only other chair in the room with a puzzled look on his face, not sure what to expect.

"I don't know what this is about, but I didn't do it. I didn't do anything," Alex blurted out.

"Relax, son," the man replied. "I'm not here because you're in trouble." Alex relaxed as he heard this. "My name is James Godwinson, Director of the United Nations Science and Technology Command (UNSTC) and I'm here for something completely different. I, uh, we need you for something very important."

Alex sat back, confused. "Me, but why would you need me? I'm nothing."

"That's not true. We need you because the fate of the world, the universe as a matter of fact, is at risk."

Alex leaned forward in his chair, suddenly interested at what the Director was going on about.

"I'm listening."

"You see, just two months ago our team of scientists had found, through extensive testing and research that the very fabric of the universe is collapsing. There have been numerous locations where tears are appearing. We have also found out that we can stop that by sending enough people through one of these breaches to close the gap."

"Yes, but why choose me?"

"Apparently, the only way to close the breaches is by securing and stabilizing certain objects that have manifested as various planets, lands, and locations. The locations appear as certain people's imaginations, so to speak."

"You mean like dreams?"

"Exactly. The thing, though, is that unlike dreams, these 'alternate realities' are not controllable, unlike a dream. They are, so to speak, premade."

"And you're telling me this because…" asked Alex, still slightly confused.

"Because one of those alternate realities is yours. Through constant monitoring and observation, we have found out that your imagination has taken form, as well as thousands of others." He stopped for a minute for Alex to process this information. "Alex, I am here to ask you to join me, to help save us all. Will you accept?"

He asked, "That depends, what will I have to do?"

"The only thing you will have to do is stabilize your world, which you have to figure out for yourself. We can't help you there. We can send you there, but first you will have to be examined and prepared. We will have to change you into something else."

"How will you do that?"

"We have created a substance that will change your body, transform it. This substance is made from energy that we managed to extract from the tear in space. It will have varying effects on everyone, so you may not experience the same thing as everyone else." He paused. "So, Alexander C. Scipio, will you join the cause? Will you come and help save the world?"

Alex stood and smiled. "I will."

**Present Day**

Alex snapped back from his trance and saw the 'Drop Imminent' sign. He remembered his life, his friends, and his family one last time. He remembered that he would also switch his name to something more usual, something more Swahili in origin. He chose Jasiri, which meant 'brave.' He hoped to be brave like his name suggested.

He suddenly felt the pod lurch as it moved into the tube. He had been ready for the last two months for this moment and now it was finally here.

He heard a countdown on the speaker. _This was it_, Alex though.

"Countdown commencing in ten…nine…eight…seven…six…"

Alex smiled at his old life and how it would soon be replaced.

"Five…four…three…"

_And soon I will be where I belong_, thought Alex.

"Two…one."

The pod jerked as the pod disengaged. He felt a sudden rush as gravity from the maelstrom pulled him. A second later the pod jets activated and he was sent spiraling. He looked out the window and saw a vast swirling mass of color engulf his pod as ran straight through the bright storm.

He soon felt nauseous as the pod continued to swirl, but he continue to look out into the mass.

He felt his eyelids get very heavy and tried to keep them open, nut it was too much effort.

It got darker… darker… darker… and...


	3. Chapter 2: Pride Rock

**Chapter 2: Pride Rock**

Alex opened his eyes to find a bright sun shining down on him. He sat there, blinking the glare out from his eyes. Once he regained his focus he sat up, trying to get a better idea about where he was.

He looked around and saw he was in the middle of a clearing. Beyond the clearing was a vast savannah, alive and well. It had tall, gold grass and tall, thin trees scattered all across the horizon. It was full of animals: huge African elephants, tall, slender giraffes, grey, muscular rhinos, strong, striped zebra, large, horned wildebeests, and thin, deer-like antelope.

He saw the remains of his pod, which seem to have started breaking down a while ago. The pod would break down through a chemical that would activate as soon as its power supply was at 0%.

The young lion soon wondered why he didn't bring a gun or weapon. Then he remembered why. "Due to the energy in the rip, technology doesn't seem to work. It causes machines, computers, even guns and metal weapons to not work. They seem to turn to dust as soon as they touch the energy. Therefore, we are not sending you in with anything." He remembered those very words from the scientist in charge of the biological implantations.

He stood up and started to walk away from the pod. He walked a few feet and then stopped and looked over his should at the one piece of his human life he had left.

Smiling, he faced forward again and continued walking.

Everything looked more beautiful and brighter than before. He recalled the change in the way he saw things before. Everything looked more like it was in the movie, more animated. Still very detailed, but animated. Yet to him it seemed more real than before. It seemed more real than reality itself.

He walked onward, past the herds, the birds, and monkeys, until he found a slow flowing river. He sat down and started to drink from it.

"Hey look at that, a big ol' kitty cat," called a voice from behind him. Alex turned to see a pair of monkeys sitting on a branch watching him, smiles on their faces. "Not so tough from down there, now are ya?" said one of the apes.

"Shut up, you'll get us killed," snapped the monkey next to the one that spoke. They started arguing with each other.

Not seeming to care about them, he started to turn away when he just remembered something. "Hey, you two!" he yelled to the monkeys. They stopped talking and starred at him.

"What do you want, lion?" hissed the first ape. "We're kinda busy here, if you can't already tell!"

"Hey, I don't want any trouble," Alex replied. This seemed to shut up the pair even more. "Anyway, could you tell me which way the Pridelands are?"

This time the second monkey spoke. "The Pridelands, eh? Why, sure. Just continue going east and you should be there in as little as six hours. But why would you want to go there? Last I checked, which was a month ago by the way, the Pridelands was a mess. There was little to nothing there. It's pretty much dead."

Alex stopped to consider this for a second. _If what they say is true, then I must have landed near the end of the first movie,_ Alex thought.

"I need to see it for myself. If there's anything left, maybe I can help," he replied.

Spinning around, he tried to find the right direction. Confused, he turned back to the duo.

"It's that way, dufus." The first monkey pointed to his right, across the river. Alex nodded and, without another word, sprinted across the water as fast as his legs could carry him. He reached the other side in a few seconds. Soon enough he was out of sight, lost in the tall savannah grass.

Looking back to his partner the first monkey asked, "So anyway, what were you saying about all that hyena activity?"

**Meanwhile**

Just a few meters away from where the lion just was, a small group of hyenas waited patiently for the lion to leave. Once he was out of sight, a large hyena with a black coat and multiple scars on his back turned to the one right next to him.

"So, this is the one, then? The one destined to end the clan's supremacy over all others?" he asked in a rough, deep voice.

The other hyena turned to face him. He wore a tan coat of fur, different from the usual grey pelt, and a trio of scars over his right eye. "Yes, this is the one. We must inform the rest of the clan of this grave news," replied the other hyena in a young, sharp voice. Rising from their hiding spots, the hyenas bounded across the river. Upon reaching the other side, they turned right and ran into the African savannah.

**Six Hours Later…**

Alex arrived in a place even grander than before. It didn't look as lively as he thought it would be. The land seemed different. The plants were slightly smaller than before, a little thinner, as if they were still growing. The trees seemed to be more shriveled than before, although it looked as if they were coming back too.

He reached the foot of a relatively tall hill and started to climb. He got higher and higher and higher…

…until he finally reached the top of the hill. Looking around his heart leapt with joy as he saw what he was here for.

Farther away to the east was a trio of huge boulders, all of different sizes, put together in an unusual formation. One of the boulders looked to be holding a larger one up and that one seemed to be wedged underneath an even larger one that was standing up, tall and proud.

_Pride Rock,_ Alex thought. _I made it. I MADE IT!_

"I MADE IT!" Alex roared at the top of his lungs. He was so happy. He must have been happier than ever before in his whole life. After all, he, among all others, made it to Pride Rock!

Laughing, Alex bounded down the hill straight towards Pride Rock, towards, his destiny, his new future. He kept running until he couldn't run anymore. Slowing down to a walk, Alex kept going. Pride Rock got bigger… and bigger… and bigger… until finally he was about 200 meters away from the foot of the structure.

Then he started hearing drums. Bum, bum, ba-dada, bum, bum, da, bum, bum, ba-dada, bum, bum they went. Then he looked left and saw a baboon and bunch of other smaller monkeys walking parallel to him, following him in the trees. The monkeys were carrying flutes and drums with them. He also saw a group of elephants below the monkeys.

"_Deep in the ocean, dead and cast away,"_ The baboon started singing,_ "Where innocence is burned… in flame."_ Alex recognized this music all too well. He kept walking anyways. He walked another 50 meters while the ape sang,

"_A million miles from home, I'm walking ahead,"_

"_I'm frozen to the bones, I am."_

"_A soldier on my own, I don't know the way."_

"_I'm riding up the heights… of shame."_

"_I'm waiting for the call, the hand on the chest."_

"_I'm ready for the fight… and fate."_

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a rock slammed into Alex's shoulder. He stumbled back and tensed, alert and ready for whatever would be thrown at him. Half a second passed and a group of animals appeared around him. The ones near Pride Rock, he realized, were lionesses. Knowing things were about to get ugly, he growled. Suddenly, almost like a flashback, he remembered another piece of his past. He remembered the self-defense martial arts he took when he was human. Tensing, he charged the first pair of challengers, a leopard and lioness.

"_The sound of iron shot is stuck in my head,"_

Alex jumped right over the pair and met the next challenger, another lioness.

"_The thunder of the drums dictates,"_

Trying not to hurt her, Alex blocked her swipe with his right paw and, with two fingers, jabbed her left shoulder with the same paw. Wincing at the nerve strike, the lioness stopped and fell down. Seeing an antelope preparing to strike, Alex jumped over the lioness and whacked the side of the antelope's face. Finished, he passed the stunned creature…

"_The rhythm of the falls, the number of deaths,"_

… just to find a pair of baboons, each wielding a large branch. The one to his right tried to swing in an arc at his head. Expecting the move, Alex ducked and grabbed the midsection of the branch with his mouth. Seeing the baboon to his left, he brought the branch up to block the baboon's overhead attack. Successfully blocking the attack, the lion pushed away the monkey with a paw. He swung the branch around and let go of the branch. It flew right back at the ape that had the branch and hit the back of his head. Still holding onto the branch, the baboon fell down onto the ground.

"_The rising of the horns… ahead."_

Seeing a cheetah preparing to jump on him, Alex sidestepped and watched as the skinny cat flew past. He then faced another lioness. She went for a swipe to his face. He ducked just in time. Another moment more and he would have had his face ripped and bloodied.

"_From the dawn of time to the end of days,"_

Trying not to hurt her either, he jabbed at the side of her neck. She yelped as the jab connected. Finishing that, he then swept her off her feet and she fell on her side. He walked forward a few steps and saw a rhino charging straight at him.

"_I will have to run… away,"_

Tensing his muscles, Alex jumped out of the way of the rhino's charge. The rhino zoomed right past him a moment later. He then came face to face with a trio of lionesses.

"_I want to feel the pain and the bitter taste…"_

In rapid succession, Alex knocked back one of the lionesses, dodged another's attack, and swept the third off her forelegs. He then pushed the second lioness back.

"_Of the blood on my lips… again."_

Seeing that he was completely outnumbered and surrounded, Alex sucked in a lungful of air and with all his strength, roared as loud as he could. His roar seemed to stun all the combatants, for they stopped for a second, eyes wide open. Regaining their focus the Pridelanders concentrated their efforts to defeat him.

Two more animals, a pair of antelopes, tried to take him on. Seeing them, Alex knocked the closer one out of the way and held his left foreleg out. The second antelope ran straight into the paw and, at how fast he was going, got the wind knocked out of him.

The music was still playing. Alex turned back toward Pride Rock and saw someone very familiar to him. If anyone asked him about it, he would answer as fast as lightning. He saw a large gold-furred lion with a giant red mane standing atop the promontory.

Trying to move forward, he lost focus for a second. He focused and saw a cream-colored lioness strike out right in front of him. He didn't see her in time and was knocked right in the face, sending him down into the dirt. In a flash the attackers completely surrounded him.

Still awake, but dazed, two lionesses grabbed his forelegs with their jaws and dragged him towards Pride Rock. Once reaching the base of the promontory and, recovered from his trance, pulled his arms out of the lionesses' grips. He saw the golden lion, the lioness that knocked him down, a mandrill holding a stick in his right hand, a warthog, a meerkat riding on top of the warthog, and the pride of lionesses flanking them.

The Pridelanders closed off the way he came, the only way off, but he had no intention on escaping. He had come this far and was not going to give up. Then they started walking forward, driving him back towards the tip of the promontory.

"_This steady burst of snow is burning my hands."_

"_I'm frozen to the bones, I am."_

"_A million miles from home, I'm walking away."_

Alex looked down to the right and saw a host of animals gathered before them.

"_I can't remind your eyes, your face."_

The music came to an abrupt halt as the newcomer reached the top.

The magnificent lion before Alex stepped forward and began with a simple question. "Who are you?" he asked in a calm, steady voice. His face matched an elegance Alex had not seen in any human before.

"I said who are you?" the lion repeated.

* * *

**Trivia:** The song used in this chapter was _Iron_, composed by Woodkid.


End file.
